1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hand operated release mechanism for a steering column with a tilting mechanism and/or a telescoping mechanism. More specifically, the present invention relates to a hand operated release mechanism that operates both a tilting mechanism and a telescoping mechanism.
2. Background Information
In recent years, the steering column structure in a vehicle is provided with both a telescoping mechanism that controls telescoping movement of a telescoping part and a tilting mechanism that controls tilt angle adjustment of a tilting part. The telescoping mechanism and the tilting mechanism allow a driver to more comfortably position a steering wheel disposed at a distal end of the steering column structure. Such steering column structures often include a manual or hand operated release mechanism that moves from a locking orientation to a releasing orientation and controls both the telescoping mechanism and the tilting mechanism with a movement of a single lever. In the locking orientation, the telescoping mechanism and the tilting mechanism are both locked in position. In the releasing orientation, the telescoping mechanism and the tilting mechanism are both unlocked and the steering wheel can be angularly and telescopically re-positioned.
Typically, the operating lever and a release member of the hand operated release mechanism are supported on the tilting part of the steering column structure. The operating lever and the release member undergo tilt angle re-positioning along with the tilting part. The release member typically pivots about a pivot axis defined on the tilting part and is configured to selectively contact and move an actuating member of the telescoping mechanism as the release member is moved from the locking orientation to the releasing orientation. The actuating member is typically disposed on the telescoping part of the steering column structure. Consequently, when the tilt angle is changed, the release member moves relative to the actuation member.
The actuating member is typically biased to urge the release member and the operating lever back to the locking orientation. With such an arrangement, the release member contacts the actuation member at differing contact locations corresponding to differing tilt angles of the tilting part. Such changes in contact location results in noticeable variations of the biasing force applied from the actuation member to the release member. At some tilt angles, the biasing force from the actuation member applied to the release member can be significantly less than at other tilt angles. Further, the variations of biasing force from the actuation member applied to the release member result in an undesirable feel to the operating lever when the operating lever is in motion. The driver of the vehicle may believe there is a serious a problem experiencing one biasing force level at one tilt angle and a noticeably different biasing force at a different tilt angle.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved steering column structure that ensures a more consistent biasing force applied to the release member at all tilt angles. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.